Wednesday, December 28, 2011

here and now

"So you like..just lived on the streets, or something?" Logan wasn't quite convinced about Alfie's story. He didn't exactly look like a street person.

"Kind of. I mean, there were people to stay with at first, but..you know, I kind out stayed my welcome." Alfie was focused on the video game, not Logan. He moved through the game with the hand held controller. His thumbs jammed on the buttons from time to time as he gritted through the bad stuff on the screen.

"And you never told your parents?" Logan kept staring at him.

"No." Alfie didn't flinch. But he bombed a car on the TV, instead, and smiled with satisfaction.

"Hey, Logan." Alex put his arm around him. "Can you leave it alone." He breathed into his ear. Of course, Alfie noticed that. Stopped the game immediately.

"Oh." Alfie jumped up as if it were his cue. "I can go." He told them he needed a snack, anyway.

Alex just smiled and nodded. Logan turned and looked at Alex.

"Why did you do that for?" Logan winced.

"Just..stop..giving him the third degree." Alex leaned in and his forehead touched his.

"But I'm not." Logan laughed.

"Look, when he wants to tell you something, let him decide, OK?" Alex sighed. "Being on the street, could happen to anyone." Alex broke away from him then and went to toss the pillows that were on the floor into the big reading chair to signal it was time for bed.

"You mean, you, don't you?" Logan wondered why he wouldn't tell him anything. "Last year? When..when we first met, were you on the street then?" Logan pulled his knees up and hugged them as if he were in thought trying to see Alex in a total different perspective now.

"No. Not then. Almost, but no." Alex pushed his thick bangs back.

Logan sighed wishing he could say the right thing, but he couldn't.

"I've always had my brother," Logan said. "I mean, he never thought he looked after me, but you know, I always felt, if I really needed him..he was there. Its just...I mean, even then, you can get lost. And, to get lost, really lost, like that, I dunno how you did it. I dunno. And the funny thing is, I always felt lost..until I met you."

Alex could barely hold his smile in. He plopped down next to Logan.

"You really do my ego good. And that is definitely something you can't get under the Christmas tree." He kissed him on the cheek.

Logan felt the warmth of Alex smile, and when he kissed him, he knew there was so much to look forward to, next year.